I just came back into the US from Asia and did a weekend trip through the N.E.. outside of New York, DC, Boston the place that struck me as the most livable was Baltimore.. It beats Philadelphia in many ways, cleaner, better food and the people were super friendly, also Baltimore is possibly the most affordable city in NE.

Being a entrepreneur\freelancer I am seriously considering moving to Baltimore.

I just came back into the US from Asia and did a weekend trip through the N.E.. outside of New York, DC, Boston the place that struck me as the most livable was Baltimore.. It beats Philadelphia in many ways, cleaner, better food and the people were super friendly, also Baltimore is possibly the most affordable city in NE.

Being a entrepreneur\freelancer I am seriously considering moving to Baltimore.

It's not underappreciated by me (or most people on this site), but I think there is an overall public perception that it is dirty and dangerous...the plummetting population over the past few decades didn't help it either. Baltimore doesn't have the national prominence it once did, partially because it is heavily overshadowed by D.C., but it's still a fairly important city.

I got a job in the DC area, coming from Miami. I found an way over priced apartment and really enjoyed DC. Then one weekend I went to Baltimore and I fell in love! It is so charming and affordable. I quickly found a real estate agent and bought a house in Charles Village. To buy the same house in DC would have cost me well over 800k. I absolutely love it. Let me know if you need any pointers.

Baltimore is located in a good spot, I really like that southern mid atlantic location with access to the hills and some semi- isolated beach spots, too. You can grow certain kinds of palms year round, too. I mean if you are into that.

I just came back into the US from Asia and did a weekend trip through the N.E.. outside of New York, DC, Boston the place that struck me as the most livable was Baltimore.. It beats Philadelphia in many ways, cleaner, better food and the people were super friendly, also Baltimore is possibly the most affordable city in NE.

Being a entrepreneur\freelancer I am seriously considering moving to Baltimore.

I love Baltimore.

But as someone who has lived in DC, Baltimore, Philly, NYC, and Boston though, I'd be hard pressed to say that it is cleaner then any of them. It's still extremely polluted. And I wouldn't say it's all that livable (unless you are thinking of cost of living). But in terms of walk-ability, cleanliness, parks, pedestrian oriented space, etc, it still has a long way to go. I think it's on the right track though.

The city doesn't have much of a national profile and what people do know isn't good. Orioles, Ravens, The Aquarium and The Wire is pretty much all most people know. The city has a lot of positive points but it's needs an image makeover in order to get past that perception.

Sadly, I pretty much know nothing about Baltimore other than what I've seen in The Wire - which makes Baltimore look like an absolute hell hole. I think a lot of West Coast folks are the same way; when they think about Baltimore, the first thing that comes to mind is The Wire. I know it's just an overly-dramatized, fictional account of the city that shouldn't be taken too seriously, but it still manages to to put a permanent stain on one's image of Baltimore - partially because that show was so gripping and engaging.

I've heard Baltimore tossed in with Detroit in conversations about decaying American cities and I immediately jump in, "no no! Baltimore isn't experiencing anything like Detroit!" Even I, in all my ignorance, know better than that. (Sometimes Cleveland gets lumped in with Detroit too.)

Bear in mind, I'm talking about your average schmuck - not an infill geek that hangs out on these forums. You guys tend to know more about this kind of stuff.

I had a great time there. I saw a ballgame at Camden Yards, visited the aquarium, walked around Johns Hopkins University and accidentally drove through Pigtown and the west side (I am going to say that is an area to avoid). Overall, the downtown was better than Detroit's from pedestrian/entertainment standpoint. There was much more to do and more people walking around. The entertainment district along the harbor from the Italian district to the two stadiums was particularly good. I was underwhelmed by the skyscraper architecture though.

The good
-Bank of America Building: 9/10. Just lovely.

The bad
-Lots of the newer condos along the harbor.

The ugly
-Donald Schaefer Building: 2/10. Seriously, what were they thinking with that "spire/staircase"? It is one of the worst tacked on for height spires I have ever seen. Overall just a horrid building.

I do love the city because of the wonderful memories that I've had there. But my recent trip there sort of reinforced the stereotypes and image that The Wire has presented of the city to the world.

About 13 years ago, my mother and I spent several days around the Inner Harbor area. We found the areas outside of the Inner Harbor to be safe and walkable, and loved the museums we visited there, such as the Visionary Art Museum, the Historical Society, and the Railroad Museum.

But the mood changed when we went back on a Sunday morning last year. We were only stopping by in the city to buy some Maryland Crabs from the Lexington Market. The city had barriers along the street for the Grand Prix that was about to take place soon, or had just taken place (I honestly do not recall when we visited last year). The Inner Harbor was thriving with people and tourists. But outside the Inner Harbor was a different story altogether.

I don't know what the story is here. Was it because of the Grand Prix? Was it because it was a Sunday morning, and everyone was off at church? Whatever it was, as we were driving to Lexington Market (only to find it closed), we passed by nearly deserted streets with only a few sketchy characters milling about, almost no stores open anywhere, and the constant screech of police cruisers blaring their sirens and speeding down the streets. What the hell was going here in Baltimore, a city that we had found so agreeable not too long ago? It reminded us of a recent visit in the evening to Dayton, Ohio, whose downtown was slightly less sketchy but even more deserted than Baltimore's downtown on that Sunday morning.

I would like an good reason that can explain the state that I saw Baltimore's streets in (such as whether we came at a bad time), because I really do hate to see a city that nice waste away like that.

The only silver lining to this visit was that because Lexington Market was closed on Sunday, we were forced to go to Phillips' Seafood at the Inner Harbor for our crabs. Phillips' crabs are much pricier than we recalled the crabs at Lexington Market to be, but wowweee! Those crabs were so big, so meaty and juicy, and so delectable! Do yourself a favor, don't cheap out during crab season (which is now), and go get yourself some takeout Maryland Crabs from Phillips.

__________________I take the high road because it's the only route on my GPS nowadays.#selfsatisfied

I moved to Baltimore in 2008, and it very much had the feel that it was crawling out from under the shadow of The Wire at the time.

It's always interesting to see what people who have never been to Baltimore think of it. Lots of people think The Wire, others think of the Orioles in their heyday, most think that the city stops at Inner Harbor. My German friends all want to see Hampden because of its association with John Waters.

Let's turn this into a discussion of the rest of the city.

I'll start with Hampden - where I have lived for 5 years. For decades, Hampden was a white, working-class neighborhood. One of the few neighborhoods that survived white flight. It's an odd thing to talk about that as a positive (and I am in no way saying that lack of diversity - particularly in a city with a rich African American culture - is a good thing) but it led to the development of a distinctive neighborhood culture.

Through the early 2000's, Hampden developed a knack for what many would consider kitschy, tacky culture. To this day, many old-school Hampdenites maintain yard gnome collections in their front yards, and pink flamingos are displayed without irony. 36th street survived as a central downtown with affordable restaurants, resale stores and the like. Unfortunately, drugs (particularly meth) and petty crime were common.The John Waters film "Pecker" captures this era of Hampden in its waning years.

Over the past decade, young families looking for city life have begun to replace the old-school residents. These newcomers (my wife and I count ourselves among them) appreciate the existing culture, and added a layer of hipsterdom to the neighborhood. Home values have recovered and many are being renovated. Crime is way down, and the neighborhood is largely safe, especially compared to other areas of Baltimore.

36th Street is bustling - there is still a large representation of resale shops and affordable restaurants, but now there are also trendy shops, boutiques and high end restaurants in the mix.

In short, I don't believe that any visit to Baltimore would be complete with at least an afternoon in Hampden. Let's have some other people chime in on other neighborhoods that dispel the Baltimore stereotype. Off the top of my head: